Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Surat Thani

For one person, living is cheaper in Surat Thani: $775 a month against $2,883 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $25,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Surat Thani
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Surat Thani Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,883

/mo nomad

Surat Thani

🇹🇭 Thailand

$775

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Surat Thani

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Dubai and in Surat Thani actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,883 in Dubai versus $775 in Surat Thani.

Dubai $2,883
Surat Thani $775

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,403 in Dubai versus $1,414 in Surat Thani.

Dubai $4,403
Surat Thani $1,414

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,923 in Dubai versus $2,053 in Surat Thani.

Dubai $5,923
Surat Thani $2,053

Living in Dubai is roughly 272% more expensive than in Surat Thani, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 113% above, Surat Thani is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.99 AED 47.72

$1.89 ฿63.0

587.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.9 AED 301

$17.87 ฿597

358.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.64 AED 35.40

$4.51 ฿151

113.75%

Cappuccino

$6.09 AED 22.38

$1.50 ฿50.2

306.00%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 AED 5.93

$0.50 ฿16.68

222.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 AED 2.76

$0.29 ฿9.66

158.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.79 AED 50.6

$2.56 ฿85.4

438.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.41 AED 49.25

$3.69 ฿123

263.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 AED 6.83

$1.66 ฿55.4

12.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 AED 5.62

$1.19 ฿39.89

28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.55 AED 9.38

$1.17 ฿39.13

117.95%

Eggs

$3.28 AED 12.06

$1.87 ฿62.4

75.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 AED 44.57

$19.18 ฿641

-36.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.15 AED 33.62

$3.33 ฿111

174.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 AED 47.00

$7.44 ฿249

72.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 AED 9.39

$2.91 ฿97.2

-12.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.03

$1.68 ฿56.3

13.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 AED 6.69

$1.76 ฿58.7

3.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 AED 5.26

$2.05 ฿68.4

-30.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 AED 4.04

$1.30 ฿43.57

-15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 AED 3.40

$1.37 ฿45.90

-32.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 AED 5.58

$1.11 ฿37.24

36.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 AED 2.54

$0.41 ฿13.66

68.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.41 AED 23.55

$3.07 ฿103

108.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.52 AED 60.7

$18.86 ฿630

-12.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 AED 9.41

$1.54 ฿51.6

66.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$1.82 ฿60.7

69.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 AED 5.82

$1.02 ฿34.00

54.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.9 AED 279

$20.95 ฿700

262.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 AED 11.72

$1.18 ฿39.50

170.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.62

$0.63 ฿21.05

12.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 AED 30.13

$3.49 ฿117

135.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 AED 3.73

$1.16 ฿38.93

-12.93%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$26.1K AED 96.0K

$26.6K ฿890.1K

-1.84%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$21.8K AED 80.2K

$27.3K ฿911.7K

-19.92%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$245 AED 900

$72.9 ฿2,437

236.05%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$57.5 AED 211

$11.12 ฿372

417.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.3 AED 335

$17.32 ฿579

426.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$105 AED 385

$48.24 ฿1,612

117.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.58 AED 171

$11.52 ฿385

304.34%

Cinema Ticket

$16.04 AED 58.9

$4.53 ฿151

254.08%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$873 AED 3,206

$549 ฿18.3K

59.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K AED 66.2K

$11.6K ฿386.5K

55.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 AED 260

$61.9 ฿2,070

14.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 AED 229

$29.16 ฿974

113.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 AED 390

$97.3 ฿3,252

9.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 AED 376

$86.5 ฿2,892

18.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,454 AED 9,014

$237 ฿7,910

937.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,510 AED 5,545

$149 ฿4,985

912.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,640 AED 17.0K

$1,150 ฿38.4K

303.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,961 AED 10.9K

$709 ฿23.7K

317.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,219 AED 26.5K

$2,226 ฿74.4K

224.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,232 AED 15.5K

$1,404 ฿46.9K

201.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,584 AED 13.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

5.57

-18.49%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Dubai: October 18, 2026

Last update for Surat Thani: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.4%

Surat Thani

$149 19.3% 90.1% $1.4K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.7%

Surat Thani

$101 13.1% 74.3% $292

Eating Out

Dubai

$311 10.8%

Surat Thani

$70 9% 77.5% $241

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$288 10%

Surat Thani

$244 31.5% 15.2% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$154 5.3%

Surat Thani

$124 16% 19.5% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$137 4.8%

Surat Thani

$57 7.4% 58.1% $80

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Surat Thani

$29 3.8% 67% $60

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,454 in Dubai and $237 in Surat Thani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $82.0 in Dubai vs $18.00 in Surat Thani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $244 per month, with Surat Thani cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇹🇭 Surat Thani

🕒 Local time

20:07 8:07 PM

23:07 11:07 PM

3 h ahead of Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

132,040

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dubai Surat Thani 4,990 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Surat Thani

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Dubai vs Surat Thani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surat Thani is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 272% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,324 in Dubai and $1,163 in Surat Thani to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,454 in Dubai versus $237 in Surat Thani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Surat Thani runs roughly 262% less than in Dubai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $873 in Dubai versus $549 in Surat Thani. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $775 in Surat Thani versus $2,883 in Dubai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Surat Thani but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Surat Thani the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Surat Thani is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dubai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dubai and Surat Thani are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Surat Thani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 272% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.